Feel free to comment anonymously (or not) as I put this post out there for discussion. Think for a minute about what it is that you most desire in a church. Is it community...accountability...good teaching and preaching...great worship...reaching out to the lost, widows and orphans (to name a few)...a great small group structure? What is it?
After you have nailed that down - ask yourself the following questions:
1. If all those elements you desire in a church could be boiled down to one absolute non-negotiable item, what would it be and do you think it would change the church you are in?
2. If Jesus were walking around next to you and considering finding a church home...what are the priorities He would search for in His church home?...Do they align with yours?
most churches need help in the area of teaching/preaching.
ReplyDeletediscipleship: when your brother falls down, you will lift him up.
ReplyDeleteYou're not left to fin for yourself and work out your faith on your own.
Also, when the church quits trying to act like the world, that will make a difference.
in response to the second comment on discipleship...it sounds more like what you are trying to say is accountability. I agree, I think accountability AND discipleship are huge, but they are distinct.
ReplyDeleteshare with us one or two ways the church acts like the world.
Thanks for the comment, I love this discussion -
I think that it all comes down to love. Love God, love the people in your church, love the people from the chruch down the road, love the dirty people that you don't want anyone to do with. Love brings the church together and draws in others not yet a part of the church. I guess it is kinda an individual thing then, but if everyone in the church did it, whoa that would be crazy awesome.
ReplyDelete*that you don't want anything to do with -sorry i type fast
ReplyDeletewhat is one small thing that you...a tiny piece of the overall church...do now to begin to promote this change in your own home church and community?
ReplyDeletefor me it is simply having some people who want nothing to do with the church over to my house regularly.
let me say, I type too fast too: I meant to say, what is one small thing that you could do now
ReplyDeleteSomething I've been thinking about quite a bit... Jesus never acted like he'd 'rather be someplace else'. He never stopped a meeting with the dregs of society to say "Oh, got an appointment with my friends that I don't want to miss... see ya." The picture that I get when I look at Him is that He made everyone feel that He wanted their company more than anything else in the entire world. That, even though everyone else might not like them much or at all, this Jesus GENUINELY loved being around them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I do this very well, and I KNOW that people can tell the difference between being GENUINELY loved and loved to rack up Christian points.
But that's just like the 2nd Anon posted.
I have to say I agree with your comment. every morning I wake - brew a cup of joe - read, pray and journal and each morning I feel like God's favorite kid. now I know the Bible says that God does not show favoritism; but when my time with Him does not feel crowded or shorted (something I feel I do often to those around me) I feel favored.
ReplyDeletegreat comment - so, are you simply saying this is what Jesus did, or are you asking that He birth this mindset in you?
I'm saying that Jesus both DID that (I think of Nicodemus... Matthew... etc... the people that everyone positively despised,) and also that He births this mindset in us. Of course it's easy to ignore it... after all, if I had the choice I'd rather spend time with the people that I want to than those that I don't. In fact I can even make a whole bunch of church sounding excuses... like "I'm fellowshipping", or "I just need some time to reconnect" etc..
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I hate the most though is the people that spend time with those that they usually wouldn't... and then they have this aura around them that they're just doing this for the Christian Points. And I think people can tell... the only way we're genuinely going to reach people for Jesus is when we can genuinely show them what Jesus has done for us.
Oh, btw I like what you said about favored vs favoritism.. think it hits it dead on.
great thoughts. now, you say genuinely is how we have to represent. well, what is it that Christ has done in your life, either past or active, that you share with others around you?
ReplyDeleteJesus might say, "The church has left the building."
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
OK... seriously... I want a church in which the youth pastor's blog does NOT have a picture of him sitting on the toilet.
ReplyDelete